Over a sloppy track, trotting filly Sugar Wheeler (Paul MacDonell) put up splits of :28.3, :58.3 and 1:28.4, while the 2-1 second choice, Im On Cloud Nine (Jack Moiseyev), made a bid for the lead past the half.
The Kevin O’Reilly student was able to dig in down the lane to score the lion’s share of the purse by half a length in 1:58.2. Sugar Wheeler finished second and Sher To Be (Randy Waples) was third.
“We weren’t too concerned as long as we didn’t get any road trouble,” said O’Reilly following the victory. “She seems very versatile. You can drive her anyway you want. She just has that desire to win, which is a great thing to have.”
The daughter of Angus Hall-Celebrity Angel, who is owned by W J Donovan, has a lifetime record of 4-1-1 in eight starts and career earnings of $74,040.
Im On Cloud Nine paid $5.90 to win.
In other stakes action, sophomore pacers contested $25,000 opening round divisions of The Diplomat and Princess Series.
A Pepsi North America Cup eligible found the winner’s circle in the first 'Diplomat' division.
The Dr. Ian Moore-trained State Treasurer sat behind fractions of :29.2, :59.1 and 1:27.3 before splitting thought horses late to score in his 2012 debut in 1:56.1. Winbak Warrior (Billy Davis Jr.) finished second by a head with Twin B Hollister (Paul MacDonell) taking show dough. State Treasurer’s stablemate, Spinarama (Randy Waples), who is also eligible to the NA Cup, finished fourth.
The son of Real Desire-Ideal Treasure, who is owned by Sally and Sophie Macdonald, has put together a lifetime record of 2-2-1 in nine starts, with $61,636 in career earnings.
State Treasurer returned $4.80 to win as the second choice.
After sweeping the Youthful Series at the Toronto oval, the Rob Fellows-trained Piston Broke extended his win streak to five with a coast-to-coast score in the second division.
Piston Broke (Sylvain Filion), who was the odds-on favourite, put up fractions of :28.3, :57.3 and 1:26.1 before getting under the wire in 1:54.4. Im the Pied Piper (Scott Zeron) finished second by three and three-quarter lengths and Retail (Randy Waples) was third.
The son of Shark Gesture-Rebid has lifetime record of 8-3-1 in 20 starts and boasts $124,010 in career earnings for Fellows, who owns a piece of the gelding with Willard Sabrosky and Arpad Szabo.
Piston Broke paid $3.80 to win.
Three-year-old pacing filly Stage It Right pulled off the 7-1 upset for driver Mario Baillargeon and trainer Rick Zeron in the lone Princess division.
Arm In Arm (Paul MacDonell) clocked the opening panel in :28 before Stage It Right took command into the backstretch and front-stepped her way past the half in :57.2 and the three-quarters in 1:25.4.
The Blossom final winner Yagonnakissmeornot(Jody Jamieson), who advanced first-up from fourth after the mid-way marker, couldn’t track down Stage It Right in the stretch. The filly stopped the clock in 1:55.4 to beat the post-time favourite by half a length. Arm In Arm finished third.
The daughter of Artiscape-Whenuwishuponastar, who was unraced at two, has a lifetime record of 4-2-1 in seven starts, with $47,400 in career earnings for owners Richard Lombardo and Howard Taylor.
Stage It Right returned $17.10 to win.
The $35,000 second leg of The Diplomat and Princess Series is slated for Thursday, May 3, with the $75,000 finals scheduled for Saturday, May 12.